

{"id":38168,"date":"2019-05-22T09:39:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-22T09:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=38168"},"modified":"2022-11-08T09:13:52","modified_gmt":"2022-11-08T09:13:52","slug":"imago-relationship-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/imago-relationship-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Imago Relationship Therapy &#038; Its Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-38171 size-full\" title=\"What Is Imago Relationship Therapy and How Does It Benefit a Marriage\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Things-You-Can-Expect-from-Marriage-Counseling-Sesions.jpg\" alt=\"What Is Imago Relationship Therapy and How Does It Benefit a Marriage\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you&rsquo;re in a relationship, differences are bound to happen. Thoughts or beliefs do collide with each other time and again. There are some couples who are able to embrace these differences and see past them, whilst there are some who get too involved in them and find themselves amidst bad times in their relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To deal with such situations, experts have come up with many counseling therapies that are designed to help couples overcome their troubles in a relationship and be happy, yet again; one such therapy is Imago Relationship Therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-is-Imago-Relationship-Therapy\"><\/span><b>What is Imago Relationship Therapy?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imago is a Latin word for &lsquo;Image.&rsquo;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through this therapy, counselors let couples peep deep into themselves and let them find a solution to their problems there. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iantomlinson.co.uk\/crossing-the-bridge-an-interview-with-harville-hendrix-and-helen-lakelly-hunt\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It came into existence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 1970 when Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt developed a counseling method to facilitate healing and promote committed relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imago Relationship Therapy helps couples rediscover love, connection, and communication by helping them work out their differences and resolve latent conflicts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It involves unleashing childhood memories and how they had a deep impact on communication and behavioral traits and how it is impacting their adulthood relationship.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When-is-Imago-Relationship-Therapy-used\"><\/span><b>When is Imago Relationship Therapy used?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&rsquo;s not necessary that one must visit a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/counseling\/counseling-techniques-for-a-healthier-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">counselor or relationship expert<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> only when they have got an issue or are going through any sort of trouble. Sometimes, it is okay to see them if you want to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/relationship-therapy-3-fundamental-principles-of-building-a-great-marriage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strengthen your existing relationship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and want to avoid any future clashes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New couples should visit experts who can guide them about how to be happily married despite the difference in opinions and thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imago Relationship Therapy does something similar to couples who are there to improve their relationship and want to improve their communication skills with their partners and in general.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The expert may put you up in a group session or private counseling, which entirely depends upon the need and the choice of the couple.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There have been some papers and research that suggest people suffering from ADHD can also benefit from Imago Relationship Therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4-types-of-Imago-Therapy\"><\/span><b>4 types of Imago Therapy<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many different types of imago therapy, and each has its own unique benefits. Here are four types of imago therapy that may be of interest to you:<\/span><\/p>\n<pre><b><i>Related Reading:<\/i><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/which-couples-therapy-technique-is-right-for-your-relationship\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9 Best Couples Therapy Techniques to Try in 2022<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n<h3><b>1. Cognitive imago therapy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-helps-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cognitive imago therapy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on changing negative thoughts and beliefs about oneself. The goal of cognitive imago therapy is to change the way we think about ourselves, so we can make positive changes in our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Psychodynamic imago therapy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Psychodynamic imago therapy is a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/the-role-of-psychotherapy-in-healthy-relationships\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">form of psychotherapy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that looks at past experiences to gain an understanding of present-day issues. The goal of psychodynamic imago therapy is to help clients understand and resolve issues that are affecting their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Behavioral imago therapy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Behavioral imago therapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on improving behavioral and emotional issues through the development of positive habits. It aims to help people develop healthy patterns of behavior and improve their quality of life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Richard Stuart demonstrates his integrative approach to Behavioral Couples Therapy in an actual couples therapy session.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<pre><b><i>Related Reading:<\/i><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/cognitive-behavioral-therapy\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CBT Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vJJWrBA5vto\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Jungian imago therapy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jungian imago therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses the client&rsquo;s imagination to help resolve emotional and psychological problems. The goal of Jungian imago therapy is to identify the images and symbols in a client&rsquo;s dreams and fantasies that can help them overcome psychological obstacles in their life.<\/span><\/p>\n<pre><b><i>Related Reading:<\/i><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/mental-health\/psychological-effects-of-rejection\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Manage the Psychological Effects of Rejection<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Imago-therapy-techniques\"><\/span><b>Imago therapy techniques<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many imago therapy methods that can be used to help improve self-esteem and build confidence. Here are a few of the most popular Imago Therapy exercises:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Mirror work<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is one Imago technique that involves looking in a mirror and repeating positive statements about yourself, such as I am worthy, I am enough, I am beautiful, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Guided imagery<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allinahealth.org\/healthysetgo\/thrive\/the-health-benefits-of-guided-imagery\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guided imagery<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> involves imagining yourself in a calm and relaxing environment, like at the beach or in the forest, and noticing how you feel.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Metaphors<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A metaphor is a symbolic image that helps us to better understand ourselves and the world around us.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Reframing<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This therapy technique involves looking at situations in a different way. For example, if a person hears the words &ldquo;You&rsquo;re stupid,&rdquo; reframe it to say &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not bad.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-to-get-started-with-Imago-Therapy\"><\/span><b>How to get started with Imago Therapy?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-34404 size-full\" title=\"How it works\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Do-Women-Watch-Porn-%E2%80%94-All-Your-Questions-Answered.jpg\" alt=\"How it works\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While growing up, we do tend to develop our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-know-your-self-worth-in-a-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-worth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on how important people around us treat us. This is where we start to believe how we should be treated and what they should expect out of us. This is where we all get our self-identity, which is directly proportional to love.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, if, while growing up, you were loved for all your good deeds, you get a feeling that you must perform tasks better in order to get love.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, when you&rsquo;re in a relationship with someone, things might alter a bit, and this would put you in a belief that you must have done something wrong for not getting the love back the way you used to while growing up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This surely brings all the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradorecoveryservices.org\/the-impact-of-unresolved-trauma-on-relationships\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">past wounds back to life<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and can sabotage the entire base of a relationship. With Imago Relationship Therapy, individuals are given a chance to heal and grow with these wounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<pre><b><i>Related Reading:<\/i><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/mental-health\/low-self-esteem-in-relationship\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 Ways On How Low Self Esteem Affects a Relationship<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certainly, altering the past is not possible at all, but what one can learn is to grow old gracefully with these wounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imago Relationship Therapy is based on 5 principles:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revisit your mate as a wounded child<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reinvent romance in your relationship with gifts or appreciation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restructure your disagreements by altering your complaints into requests<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resolve extreme anger feelings<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reconsider your relationship as a source of safety, satisfaction, and happiness<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-you-should-be-expecting\"><\/span><b>What you should be expecting?&nbsp;<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To conduct Imago Couples&rsquo; Therapy, couples are often taken out on weekends to some place where they can be given some activities and can have dialogues aiming to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/communication\/the-importance-of-communication-in-your-marriage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improve their communication<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and make them a better person.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They&rsquo;re assigned an Imago <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/counseling\/relationship-counseling\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Relationship Therapy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> worksheet with instructions as to what they should be doing during the course of their stay there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once couples have attended these group sessions, if they wish to, they can also attend individual sessions with the therapist as well to come out with a better solution to their issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are couple sessions; hence one must either be with their partner or must choose a partner who is going through similar trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8-benefits-of-Imago-Therapy\"><\/span><b>8 benefits of Imago Therapy<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the Imago Relationship Therapy exercise, couples can get the below benefits:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Couples will resolve childhood wounds<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Couples see each other as wounded beings and try to heal each other<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication between couples improves post-therapy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They start valuing your partner&rsquo;s needs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They learn to embrace their dark sides<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They learn to satisfy their own basic needs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They develop the strength that they believed they didn&rsquo;t have previously<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They start rediscovering their true nature<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-can-I-find-an-Imago-Therapist\"><\/span><b>How can I find an Imago Therapist?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone faces challenges in their lives. Some are bigger than others, but no matter how big or small they may be, we all need and deserve to be heard and helped. That&rsquo;s what Imago therapists are all about.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imago therapists are trained professionals in a particular field who know specific techniques of this type of therapy. You can find the nearest one around your location or find one online<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/experts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Takeaway\"><\/span><b>Takeaway<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are so many benefits to Imago relationship therapy that it&rsquo;s hard not to contemplate taking a couple of sessions of this. It can really improve a relationship even if there aren&rsquo;t any pre-existing issues in the relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you&rsquo;re in a relationship, differences are bound to happen. Thoughts or beliefs do collide with each other time and again. There are some couples who are able to embrace these differences and see past them, whilst there are some who get too involved in them and find themselves amidst bad times in their relationship. To deal with such situations, experts have come up with many counseling therapies that are designed to help couples overcome their troubles in a relationship and be happy, yet again; one such therapy is Imago Relationship Therapy. What is Imago Relationship Therapy? Imago is a <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1419,"featured_media":38171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[2695],"class_list":["post-38168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-therapy","tag-heal-your-relationship","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38168"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81136,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38168\/revisions\/81136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}